Oliver Smith

I started out in TV but have been working in audio for a little over ten years. I play around with cameras for fun, not money.

Now, I have the chance of acquiring a DigiBeta kit at a very reasonable rate. This has got me thinking, perhaps I could sidestep into TV. With the weather warming up, the idea doesn't sound too bad at the moment!

The problem is, this may just be a pipe-dream; I haven't really done much research into the idea and I've lost all my TV connections.

Does anyone actually shoot on DigiBeta any more? Isn't it all HDCam nowadays? And what are the going rates for TV factual cameraman with DigiBeta kit?

I'd like to include a few front projection shots in a short I'm planning. Unfortunately, a scotchlite screen seems a little pricey for my pockets. Does anyone know if a cheaper alternative to the material exists? Or, does anyone know of a place where I could get it for cheap? (FYI, I'm in the UK.)

For my sins, I have the responsibility of creating the sound for an animation.

Several of the characters are steam trains. They're more toys than real trains, so I want to avoid using real trains for the SFX. I'm aiming for that 'CHUG-chug-chug-chug-CHUG-chug-chug...' sound -- not a sound that sounds like several hundred tonnes of iron, but a sound that sounds like a friendly little engine -- but so far, I'm stuck.

I've tried bicycle pumps, I've tried vocalising it, but I'm still yet to get the SFX I want.

Needless to say, I'm stuck. Can anyone offer any ideas?

It sure is ugly. Still, if it gets the job done...

What's its secret? Apart from being completely sealed, is there an air gap or is it stuffed full of absorbent materials?

I believe "Pi" and "Grey Gardens" were shot on R16.

According to IMDB, Pi was shot on Super 16.

Have any films, of recent times, been shot on R16 and had notable success on the big screen?

The number 0358 could be 10358 with the #1 obscured by paint or other debris. Or it could be a factory replacement door though I do not know how those were numbered. There were no production cameras with serial numbers that low.

 

The best thing to do is have a qualified ARRI service technician look at the camera.

The number is definitely 0358. What are the consequences of the door and prism being optically mismatched?

I plan to send the camera to a technician ASAP, as soon as I find one in the UK.

Another thing, the door seems a little shakey when locked to the camera. Is that common?

On the door (beveled), just below viewfinder, there is a number: No 0358.

On the other side of the camera, just below the grip, there is a nother number: No 12699.

Are they meant to match up? 0358, seems pretty low.

I've just bought an Arri ST. But for sending it to a technician, how can I keep it in good shape?

It needs lubrication -- can I do that myself? Any warning signs I should look out for?

Overseas shipping usually entails some risk of radiation fogging. Plus the cost of shipping may outweigh any savings.

It's not the shipping costs I'm worried about -- they can be kept low if I'm prepared to wait long enough -- but, obviously, I wouldn't be prepared to wait for ruined stock!

I've been looking around for places that sell short-ends/recans (16mm) and it seems that the secondhand stock market is pretty much limited to the US. I'm in the UK.

But the pound is so strong at the moment.

I thought about having a few feet imported (in the cheapest way possible). Would this be a wise decision? ...or would I be wasting my money on a couple of cans of x-ray fogged film?

What does an "edited D.I." mean anyway?

 

Part of "D.I." means that you scanned the film to a high-enough resolution digital format that there is minimal quality loss. It's not the same thing as having done an offline cut of video dailies.

 

Laser recording generally will cost $50,000 or so for a feature.

 

An optical printer blow-up from Super-16 to 35mm through an IN/IP is somewhere around $25,000 or so, last time I checked.

What I was trying to say was: if I had it all on digital ready to be printed, what would the costs be?

Thanks for the info.

Forget all the costs before this point. I have an edited DI from 16mm and I want to filmout to 35mm.

Let's say it's a 90 minute feature. What are the costs?

one trick is that the emuslion of undeveloped film can be exposed by "presure" which could turn a minor scratch into a permanent mark, often in colour.

I'm not too sure I understand what you mean by "pressure".

Are some stocks more susceptible to scratching than others?

...and at what stage in their life are they most prone to scratching? When wet? Is undeveloped stock more prone to scratching than processed stock?

I want to shoot ultra 16, period. I don't have any problems with the usual hurdles associated with the format. Without any debate, I'm going ultra.

The camera to be converted is a Kinor 16CX-2C. Can it be done with this camera, or will the registration pin cause problems?

A picture of the gate can be found here.

Can it be widened?

A second question: If s16 lenses are needed to cover the wider frame of s16, how come standard 16mm lenses are sufficient to cover the widened ultra 16 frame?